Change management is a project management process where changes to a project are formally introduced and approved or rejected. The objective of change management is to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes to control IT infrastructure, in order to minimize the number and impact of any related incidents upon service. Change management can ensure standardized methods, processes and procedures which are used for all changes, facilitate efficient and prompt handling of all changes, and maintain the proper balance between the need for change and the potential detrimental impact of changes.
A change is an event that is approved by management, implemented with a minimized and accepted risk to existing IT infrastructure, and provides increased value to the business from the use of the new or enhanced IT systems. A change request is a document containing a call for a change. Change requests typically originate from one of five sources: problem reports that identify bugs that must be fixed, system enhancement requests from users, events in the development of other systems, changes in underlying structure and/or standards, and demands from senior management. An important attribute of change requests is the “approve or reject” decision. Any proposed change must be approved in the change management process before any change can be carried out.